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 Periodical article |
 Leiden University catalogue |
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| Title: | Re-orienting the 'charm offensive' to the 'charm defensive': a critical review of Chinese media development in Africa |
| Author: | Shi, Anbin |
| Year: | 2015 |
| Periodical: | African journalism studies (ISSN 2374-3689) |
| Volume: | 36 |
| Issue: | 1 |
| Pages: | 135-140 |
| Language: | English |
| Geographic terms: | Africa China |
| Subjects: | mass media media policy South-South relations |
| External link: | https://doi.org/10.1080/23743670.2015.1008180 |
| Abstract: | This article is a brief analysis of China's media development in Africa and a call for a reorientation from a 'charm offensive' to a 'charm defensive'. The 'charm offensive' is characterised by the following: 1) all projects are mainly government sponsored, strategically engineered and efficiently implemented; 2) projects centre around infrastructure building and technical support, under the aegis of voluminous investment; 3) all projects and their outcomes have drawn attention around the globe, evoking the fear that China will colonise Africa, thereby replacing the foundational belief in Western-imported press freedom with the Chinese model of 'market-driven liberalisation under authoritarian control'. In the 'charm defensive' Chinese media should: 1) transcend from a government-sponsored model to a model relevant for local communities and engage with indigenous audiences by way of emerging social media and mobile phone platforms; 2) look to the power and resources of private entrepreneurs and non-governmental organisations to enhance the credibility and efficacy of international communication; 3) convey a clear-cut and consistent value system to its African audience. Bibliogr. [ASC Leiden abstract] |